Lemon-squeezer.



c. L. KBB.

LEMON SQUEEZBB. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1911.

1,008,969. l Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

CHARLES L. KEE, 0F PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

LEMON-SQUEEZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 14, 1911.

Application led July 12, 1911. Serial No. 638,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. KEE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at v 'of the device,

Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lemon- Squeezers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for crushing fruits and vegetables and for expressing juices therefrom,'and has for its object to provide an eficient means for reciprocating and rotating a plunger in coperation with a bowl colander.

An important object is to provide an improvement on the usual two-lever lemon squeezer whereby the plunger head may be rotated to eect a shredding and tearing of the membranes and vesicles, this rotative action of the plunger being produced, if desired, during its reciprocation, whereby less force needs to be applied to the levers than would be required'if the plunger were operated without rotation. Furthermore it is the purpose to enable this operation without necessity for removal of the hand of 'portion 14, there is a plate 2O having upthe operator from either lever handle. I am aware that devices have been constructed in which a rotatable head was mounted in onelever of this type, but in these it has been necessary for the operator to release the grasp on one lever and a separate element operated for rotation of the-head, the two levers being pressed together as well as possible with one hand while the other is used to rotate the head. Also, I provide' means for rotation of the head before and after reciprocation of the plunger when necessary, which is of great value in the latter case, in insuring the breakage of all the juice vesicles after the compressing stroke of the plunger has been completed.

An important object is to present means whereby one lhandle of the device may be utilized as a lever, and twisted at will to rotate the head.

Another object is to provide a simple form of connection between the handle and head.

A further object is to give a simple form of construction, involving a minimum number of parts and operations in its manufacture and assemblage, and which may be produced at a low cost, by simple methods.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view Fig. 2 isy a top view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a rear end View, Fig. 4 is a sectional View of a modification.

There is illustrated a squeezer comprising essentially two levers connected pivotally .at one end, one -10--being formed preferably of wood in which the broad inner :portion 11 having the foraminate bowl 12 is set therein and having the handle portion 13 suitably formed thereon. The other includes the base portion 14 hingedly connected to the lever 10 at the rear end, a bushing 15 being set therein concentric with the bowl when the two levers are in closed relation, and a shaft 16 engaged revolubly -therethrough. This shaft is headed at its `ilower end and has secured thereon the plunger head 17 formed preferably of lignum vitae, of which material the bowl is also preferably formed. Secured to the rear end of the lower lever 10 there is a hinge leaf 18. Secured upon the upper side of the base turned ears 21 spaced longitudinally of the fdevice, the rear portion of the plate being laterally enlarged and extended rearwardly at each side in the form of two arms 22 hav- Qing hinge knuckles formed at their ends, Eengaged with of a suitable pintle coengaged between the three. The plate is suitably apertured to rethe hinge leaf 18 by means ceive the upper end of the shaft l'revolubly therethrough, the shaft projecting thereabove and having a rectangular t-enon 23 formed thereon upon which is engaged a suitable `gear 24. The shaft is threaded above the gear and a retaining nut 25 engaged thereon. The forward ear 21 is provided with an enlarged aperture revolubly therethrough the lever shaft 27 the forward portion of which is bent into a loop to serve as a handle, and the rear eX- tremity of which is vtenoned and engaged revolubly through a reduced aperture 28 in the rearmost ear 21. The outer portion of this tenon 29 is threaded and receives a wing nut 30 thereover, whereby the shaft is held removably in place. It will also be apparent that the plunger head may alsobe readily detached, which is of importance as such implements need to be cleaned often when 1n 26 receiving slidably and frequent use. Centrally of the shaft there is secured a sect-or 31 centrally apertured and receiving t-he shaft slidably therethrough, a set screw 31 being engaged therethrough and adapted to impinge against the shaft to hold it rigidly against relative movement. The sector is provided with t-he arcuate series of laterally projected rack teeth 32 meshing with the gear 24 for rotation of the head 17 when the shaft 27 is rotated. The sector is al-so provided with two check lugs projecting radially adjacent each end of the series -of rack teeth, and adapted to strike against the plate 20 at the moment the gear encounters the outermost teeth as they move inward theretoward.

It will be seen that the plate 20 serves the double function of a hinge connecting the block 14 and lever`10, as well as to support the operating lmechanism for the 4plunger head.

In Fig. 4t there is illustrated a modification comprising the casting 10 adapted to be secured upon a counter, having the duct chamber 33 with the downwardly directed spout 34 beneath which a glass may be set to catch the juices expressed. The wall of the chamber 33 on the inner side is plane and vertical and provided with a rabbeted opening 35 in which is set the colander 12. Above the chamber 33 the casting is provided with the vertical pair of ears 36 between which there is pivoted the arcuate lever arm 37 the outer end of which is adapted to swing into posit-ion before the colander 12 and is bored on an axis concentric with the colander when the arm is in such position. Revoluble in this bore is the levershaft 27 carrying inwardly of the arm the plunger head 17 adapted to engage properly within the colander, the shafthaving the collar 38 outwardly of and closely adjacent the arm to prevent reciprocation of the shaft therethrough. The outer end of the sha-ft is provided with a suitable handle 39.

In the operation of the first described form of the device, the two levers are grasped in separate hands and separated for the introduction of afhalf lemon, a hemispheroid of which is presented with its plane side in the bowl 12. The handles 13 and 27 are then forced laterally toward each o-ther, and as soon as the compression of the lemon begins 'a slight rotative twist is given the shaft handle 27 by which the head 17 is rotated and the vesicles of the lemon rapidly broken and prevented from clogging the openings through the bowl. After the handles have been brought as close together as possible, several partial turns of the head may be given to insure the complete shredding of t-he pulp and expression of the juices. The rotation of the head in a lemon squeezer of this type is of especial value because of the fact that when the lemon is first emplaced it projects so far out ofthe bowl that the plunger engages it at a point eccentric to the axis of the bowl, tending to jam the lemon to one side to become wedged between the head and inner side of the bowl. By the rotation of the head, which may be accomplished to the extent desired, the position of the lemon may be so varied during compression as to maintain it centrally of t-he bowl throughout the ope-ration.

It will be noted that the head in each form of the device is peripherally grooved at intervals radially of the axis of rotation, whereby it is made to firmly engage the lemon to rotate it against the openings in the bowls. The bowl in the second form is provided with a number of downwardly extending grooves on its inner side adapted to carry a large part of the juices to the lower ,side of the bowl.

The second described form of the device ,is operated by one hand, the half lemon being presented in the bowl as before described while the lever shaft 27 is borne downwardly to force the pltmger head 17 against the lemon. In the initial stage of this operation one hand of the operator may be utilized to emplace a glass beneath the spout25, or the glass may be so held during the entire operation of expression. The head 17 may be rotated whenever, and to'any extent desired, by the twist-ing of the handle, as will be apparent.

It is an important advantage of these two devices that the head may be rotated in either direction, and alternately in both directions, while the full pressure of the hand is exerted upon the lever for compression. insuring the thoroughness of operation of the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a body member, a foraminous bowl carried thereby, a second member movable toward and away from the first mentioned member, a revoluble handle carried thereby and adapted for op'eration to move the second member relatively to the first mentioned member, a revoluble plunger head carried by the second member adapted for engagement in the bowl when the said members are in close relation, and connections between the handle and head for'rotation of the head at times upon rotation of the handle.

2. A device of the class described comprising a -colander carrying member a colander device carried thereby, a second member movable toward and away from the first named member, a lever handle carried by the second member extending laterally with respect to the direction of movement of the movable member and revoluble on its major axis, a revoluble plunger head carried by the second named member for engagement within the colander device, and connections between said lever and head for rotation of the head upon rotation of the lever.

3. A device of the class described comprising a lower body member, an upper body member pivoted thereto, a female press member carried by one and a male press member carried by the other for enga-gement with the female member, one of said press members being revoluble, an elongated handle carried by that member having the revoluble press' member thereon, said handle being revoluble on its major axis, operative connections between the handle and revoluble press member, and means for moving said body members pivotally with respect to each other.

4i. A device of the class described comprising two lever elements pivotally connected, male and female press members carried thereby in opposed relation for coengagement upon interposed material, one of said press members being revoluble,'the resp-ective lever element having a handle revoluble upon an axis longitudinally 0f the lever, and connections between the handle and the revoluble press member for the action described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a lower1 lever member a foraminous bowl carried thereby, an upper member pivoted to the lower member, an operating handle carried thereby and extending outwardly of the pivotal point of said upper member, and being revoluble on its major axis, a revoluble plunger head carried by the upper member and adapted for engagement in the bowl, a coaxial gear connected thereto, and a rack sector carried by the revoluble handle in mesh with the gear, whereby the handle may be oscillated for relative reciprocation of the press members anl1 turned for relative rotation thereof at w1 A 6. A devi-ce of the class described comprising a lower member a foraminous bowl carried thereby, a hinge eleme-nt carried thereby spaced from the bowl, a plate member having spaced apertured ears, a lever shaftrevoluble in the ears and having a handle portion thereon extending outwardly of the ears, two arms extended from the plate outwardly of one ear and coengaged with said hinge element for pivotal movement of the plate on the lower member, a plunger head having an axial shaft portion enga-ged re-volubly through the plate, said head being adapted to engage in the bowl at times, a gear carried by the shaft portion above the plate, and a rack sector carried by said lever shaft in mesh with the gear, for rotation thereof upon rotation of the handle lever shaft.

7 A device of the class described comprising a lever element carrying a foraminous bowl, and having a forward handle portion, a sheet metal plate adapted to lie in close relation to the lever element and having longitudinally spaced apertured ears, a shaft revoluble in the ears and having a handle portion extending forwardly adjacent the first named handle, means to hold the shaft against reciprocat-ion longitudinally, said plate being transversely enlarged at its rear po-rtion and having arms extended rearwardly on each side of the adjacent ear, the outer ends of the arms being coiled to form hinge knuckles, and a pintle carried by the lever element and engaged revolubly in said knuckles, a revoluble presser head carried by the plate and adapted to engage in the bowl, a gear connected therewith, and a rack sector on the shaft meshed with the gear for rotation of the head.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body member, a foraminous bowl carried thereby, and an element pivoted to the body member for movement toward and away from the bowl, a revoluble lever shaft having a handle portion adapted to be grasped for oscillation to move the pivoted element, and a revoluble presser head connected with the lever shaftfor rot-ation thereby and movable under oscillation of the shaft into engagement with the bowl.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. KEE.

Witnesses H. L. WooDwARD, CORNELIUS EOKHARDT.

,opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

